For the second time in less than a month, another person has died from being pushed off a subway platform into the path of an oncoming train.

The victim, who remains unidentified, was waiting for a 7 line train in Queens at the 40th Street station when a woman came up from behind and pushed him onto the tracks. The woman is described as a 5’5″, 190 pound Hispanic woman, between 20-25 years old, and surveillance footage above shows her fleeing the scene after she committed this awful crime.

I think the worlds done gone crazy…..and it’s dragging me with it and I don’t like it.

Luna93

Trying to recreate the movie While You Were Sleeping is not a good thing, people. It just ends in disaster.

Conspiracy Einstein

But … Sandra Bullock.

Luna93

I love the woman, but not even then.

George Carlin

NRA’s immediate response: All trains need guns on them.

Basically, the NRA’s wet dream is a world where everyone is packing heat. Sort of like the wild west, but with assault rifles and 30-round clips. And if they get that, they’ll start advocating for the right to bear grenades. Because the only thing that stops a bad guy with an assault rifle is a good guy with a grenade, right? Except when the bad guy also has grenades. Which is why we all need tanks. Tanks don’t kill people, people with tanks kill people, right? Except when the other guy has an anti-tank rocket. Etc., etc.

Conspiracy Einstein

I don’t … think … this is accurate.

Slartibartfatsdomino

I wonder how much it would cost to retrofit the subway with platform screens? I would hope NYC at least is looking into the question.

LlamaHomefry

MTA claims they don’t have the money and they’d raise fares and it’d get done in about 10 years.

Slartibartfatsdomino

I went googling around and I found an article from earlier this month that says the city is building new stations (2nd Ave line–finally!–and 7-train extension) without the screens. I agree with the critic that says that they should at least build them there as a pilot program to learn about operational issues. I also read in a different article that Paris is retrofitting it’s fairly ancient system.

LlamaHomefry

Both those lines have been “under construction” for years now. And I agree that this would be useful. I’m just saying it won’t happen any time soon. The MTA is a black hole for cash with a major time dilation field surrounding all of its projects.

TruuuV

Just googled “platform screen doors” shows how long it’s been since I went out, I didn’t even know they existed, seems like a good idea though.

I’d assume aside from the obvious not being able to push people onto the tracks that it’d also protect buggies/prams from being dragged onto the tracks when they’ve been left too close to the edge and the vacuum of air created by an oncoming train pulls everything into harm’s way.

Slartibartfatsdomino

Other benefits that have been mentioned are easier climate control in the stations and removing the danger of fire from garbage that falls onto the tracks as well as the costs of removing such garbage.

TruuuV

I remember years ago a pair of cyclists got onto the train we were on with their bikes, they were so chuffed with themselves until the voice over stated “No bikes are allowed on this line would the cyclists please leave the train”. They sort of crouched in the middle of the carriage clearly thinking they could hide…. Next to their fully visible bikes. The guy came on over the speakers a few seconds later and went “Look, we can see you mate, we’re not moving the train until you get off.”

They looked at each other for a moment and then, clearly embarrassed everyone was looking, slinked off the train with bikes in tow. I’d hope the screens were high impact so if the scenario arose at one of those stations they could just close the screen doors as the cyclists rode up.

Would have been fucking hilarious to see the sense of impending victory in their eyes moments before plowing face first into the safety doors.

Conspiracy Einstein

So are there no guard rails with openings where the doors open?! I’ve never been up there. I really have no idea.